Kim Asendorf is a German visual artist who works with conceptual strategies and generative systems to create abstract animations, images, and sculptures. The pixel is the main building block in Asendorf's work, and the foundation of his signature Pixel Sorting method.

In Conversation with Kim Asendorf on Cargo

Find out more about our visit to the City of Lights. From NFT Paris to Le Bon Marché.

Art Blocks in Paris: Our Highlights

Studio visits, galleries, and museums were just a few of the highlights of our first MOD retreat. Read on to find out more about what the Art Blocks Community Team got up to in the City of Angels.

Art Blocks Community Team Takes Over L.A.

**the first 13 mints (#0 - #12) will be eligible for a complimentary 18cm x 14cm (7.1'' x 5.5'') signed print, posted anywhere in the world.**

'transparency' is a generative artwork that explores the connection between the fundamental elements of art and the viewer's perception of it. square figures, like pixels forming a picture, create prefigurative, fuzzy images with watercolor motifs. through the use of shapes, colors, and composition, the artwork aims to create a visual language inspired by pioneers of various media such as Paul Klee, Anni Albers, Hilma af Klint, and Alexey Pajitnov.

the use of square figures in 'transparency' is reminiscent of the basic things we drew as children, creating a sense of nostalgia and simplicity. the overlapping transparent rectangles add a sense of depth and tonal variety to the piece, and incorporation of watercolor effects gives it some lightness. the artwork is an expression of emotion in a way that connects with the viewer on a primal level. it is an exploration of the fundamental relationship between art, emotions and the ability of forms and colors to evolve.

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transparency

Contrast Agent is a collaboration between artist Tim Richardson and creative technologist Sean Zellmer. The title refers to chemical agents used in CT scans that make soft tissue visible in x-ray imaging. We were inspired by the ways this process reveals our interior physiology, making the connection between our exterior and interior bodies transparent. 

Drawing on CT imaging, we explored fractal geometry as a visualization of human physiology. The geometry is constructed with cylindrical orbit traps that possess an inherent self-similarity. Much like the vascular system of the body, the orbit traps have a nested symmetric structure with finer details mirroring the overall structure. 

This symmetric structure became the core motif for the edition and is embodied as an infinite visual loop. Each unique artwork is bound to this temporal cycle, creating an animated ‘liquid physiology’ emblematic of the shifting realities we engage with on a daily basis.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Artist - Tim Richardson 
https://www.instagram.com/timrichardsontv
Richardson's work has been exhibited internationally and is in the Collections of Deutsche Bank and Sir Elton John. Three books have been published on his work, most recently the monograph Spiritual Machine by Prestel UK.

Creative Technologist - Sean Zellmer
https://www.instagram.com/lejeunerenard/
Sean Zellmer has made a piece everyday for 5+ years focusing on shaders. His work has been exhibited in Times Square as part of Decode Experiential and in São Paulo for FILE Festival 2018. He has collaborated with brands such as Lush and Vans.

Contrast Agent

From the Insecta Class and Apidae Family, we find the Species Apis Mellifera: the western honey bee.  One of the more iconic aspects of honey bees is their hive, the hexagonal grid we call honeycomb; an efficient use of resources and space, and a beautiful representation of a geometric shape found in nature.

The humble grid has also been a mainstay of generative art from its earliest days.  Code up a loop or two and see what you can do.  What I've done with grids has been seen in many of my projects over the past year; in *Polka*, *Over the Air*, *Ode to Untitled*, and now *Mellifera*.  Breaking from the rectangular and square grid, and embracing the complexities of the hexagonal grid, *Mellifera* creates patterns working within the points and sides of a hexagon while laying out those patterns across a honeycomb like structure.

While working through this series of grid based projects, one main area of study has been finding ways to move off the grid, at least in appearance.  A recent move to a rural home has left me much more off the grid, and there's been a parallel through my projects.  Increasingly, I've explored ways to make the overall aesthetic not appear grid-like, to have a more organic feel, all the while though still centering elements perfectly in their place across the grid.  *Mellifera*, with its use of hexagons, imperfections, unique symbols, rotation, and negative space, is another step in this evolution, and the largest one yet.

While most of my work has embraced the digital and machine-like feel that computers and code are so easily capable of (again influenced from my appreciation of Roy), *Mellifera* moves in a new direction, introducing a more imperfect and human feel to the lines, shapes, and symbols.  These imperfections change the overall aesthetic drastically and are a main component in helping break away from the grid, visually.  While honey bees are incredible in their ability to create beautiful hexagonal geometric patterns, there's still a natural, lived-in feel to their creations, and *Mellifera* uses this organic quality as inspiration.

***


**High-Resolution Downloads**
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* Press 2 for 6000 x 9000
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See download limitations under Display Notes.

Mellifera

*NOTE: The first 46 minters (tokens #1-46) will receive The Rising Edition physical collection as a gift. Please see the end of the project description to learn more about this unique box set.*

As the temperature reads 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 Celsius), the hottest on record in the spot where I stand, my shoes are melting into the asphalt and my vision is blurred. I wonder how we got here from those rainy springs and where we will go. The heat’s visible haze makes me doubt the possibility of future Augusts spent outdoors. It is in this haze that *chaos comes with the summer haze* takes form. 

My inspiration is from both beauty and fear - the beauty of the land, the water, the flowers, the beauty of paint and code, the beauty of humanity – the fear of panic and mob mentalities, the fear of incongruity and environmental collapse, the fear of humankind. It is from the obsessiveness, visual overload, content overload, and our aching yet hopeful eyes as we stare towards the horizon.

*chaos comes with the summer haze* is specifically aligned with my art practice, which for decades has attempted to address technology, climate change, human irrationality and human rights, while being unencumbered by limitations of medium. Whether it is dragging paintings in the ocean, writing a new constitution, or encoding this Project, all have the same goal - creating impressions that are pleasing while acting as guideposts or warnings. Here, I’ve ratcheted up the intensity of everything. The breadth of coloration, brushstrokes and variety of possible outputs push dramatically in a way only possible through the generative process. Many times, I feel the code taking over the composition with the intent of heightening the chaos itself, perhaps adding an exclamation point to the warning therein.

Visually, it is symptomatic of both human and earthly chaos. The earthly ‘gestalts’ are the seas rising and the clouds gathering. The ‘meltdowns’ are the human brushstrokes that feel panicked, despite being controlled. They are haphazard, geometric and duplicative. They obscure reality. The handpicked colors touch the rainbow of possibilities, but are affected by that summer haze. The ‘shadow frequency’ demonstrates content overload, duplication and machine learning, all creating further feelings of distress.  There are layers and layers of possibilities – of coffee stains, of visual heat, of faces, of ideas, of dimensional portals, of the future...

*The Rising Edition* 

The first 46 minters (tokens #1-46) will receive *The Rising Edition* physical collection as a gift, which includes:

* A unique print of the minter’s piece, printed on archival Hahnemühle German etching paper, mounted on 16” x 12” (40.6 cm x 30.5 cm) varnished maple board, signed and titled on verso. 

* A sculpture featuring a porcelain blanketed rock - discovered, shaped and fired by the Artist. 

* A limited edition hardcover, linen wrapped visual compendium chronicling the conceptual theory and production of the work, signed and numbered.

Please visit the Project’s website for images of the Rising Edition and further details on the Project.

*Controls*

p - for a high resolution (6000 x 7200 pixels) printable version 
s - to save the image as a png file

chaos comes with the summer haze

## SL/CE (slice)
This artwork explores Suprematism and generative composition, attempts to fill some gap between generated and constructed artworks.
It achieves composition by slicing simple shapes into pieces by some rules and testing them against a "bad composition detector", then carefully selecting colors for shapes.

### Algorithm
Each iteration starts with selecting the simplest figure (circle, square, rectangles, trapezoid), then shape is placed on the canvas according to specific rules, cut along one or more "slice lines", after which the parts can be shifted, rotated or removed. 
The process is repeated several times for several starting figures, after which the resulting composition is obtained. 
Then an "Bad composition detector" function comes into play, and if the composition is considered "bad", the pseudo-random composition process is repeated with partially different inputs until a "good composition" is obtained, according to this evaluation function.

### Bad composition detector
Function that takes into account and evaluates the size of the figures individually, the total area occupied by the figures, distribution of the figures on the canvas, the balance of emptiness and fullness.
All of these parameters are used to find those outcomes that seem to me to work poorly. It turns out there is a piece of me in this code.

### Result
Looking at images, you can often see something in them, this effect is close to pareidolia, sometimes images works well as profiles pictures, and I am very pleased that I was able to achieve this.

### Extra
Each token is a unique generator with partially fixed parameters.
Click or tap at the bottom half of image to generate a new image.
Click or tap at the top half of image to toggle slideshow.

Palette

Main angle

Main shape

Strict shapes

Rounded shapes

This descending auction has a start time of {start_time} at the price of {start_price} Ξ and will exponentially decrease until the resting price of {base_price} Ξ is met. Any excess posted funds are reclaimable once the auction reaches settling price, such that the net payment for any purchase is equal to the lowest price paid for a token on this minter.

SL/CE

Stranger in the Q

4/3/2023, 5:00 PM UTC

Edition of 360

Art Blocks is dedicated to bringing compelling works of contemporary generative art to life. We unite artists, collectors, and blockchain technology in service of groundbreaking artwork and remarkable experiences.

In Conversation with Kim Asendorf on Cargo

Art Blocks in Paris: Our Highlights

Open Projects

transparency

usnea

0.15 Ξ

79 / 99 remaining

Mellifera

artplusbrad

0.12 Ξ

179 / 222 remaining

Contrast Agent

Tim Richardson + Sean Zellmer

0.15 Ξ

287 / 300 remaining

chaos comes with the summer haze

Cole Sternberg

0.21 Ξ

90 / 163 remaining

Art Blocks Community Team Takes Over L.A.

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Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

Want more? Read Spectrum, the journal of Art Blocks

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4/3/2023, 5:00 PM UTC